UNIT 18                ASSESSMENT TYPES AND TAKS

Assessment tasks take many forms including written, oral, demonstrations or performances. They may be short tasks; or long assignments that students are given weeks to finalize. They may be delivered face-to-face or online and require hard copy or online submission. They may require individual or group assessment and be assessed by academic staff or via peer and self-assessment.

Foremost in your thinking when choosing an assessment task is its appropriateness in assessing what it is that students need to learn (learning objectives).

There are many types of assessment tasks to choose from. Assessment Matters! Provides a short list only of the more typical assessment tasks used.

Testing, especially any sort of standardized testing tends to get a bad rap. Teachers complain that they spend too much time teaching to a test. But assessments do have value, and an important place in our learning structure. By measuring what students are learning, we as teachers can look at how we are approaching different subjects, materials, and even different students.

There are many types of assessments: diagnostic, formative, summative, norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and interim/benchmarked are the types overviewed here.

There are five main question types: multiple choices, constructed response, extended constructed response, technology enhanced, and performance task.

Three main delivery methods of assessment: paper and pencil, online, or computer adaptive testing (which uses an algorithm to adapt to a user’s responses).

Scoring can be done by hand, by computer, or distributed scoring.

REFERENCES:

http://www.edudemic.com/the-6-types-of-assessments-and-how-theyre-changing/

UNIT 17       PRACTICE ACTIVITIES AND TASKS FOR LANGUAGE AND SKIILS DEVELOPMENT

While studying this course we learned that there are more than one way to teach through different activities and tasks, such as:

-          new vocabulary

-          functional structures

-          grammatical structures

-          subskills

But, in this unit we focused on three different types of activities:

Controlled activities

Free activities

Freer activities

Is there any difference between the two last ones? you will look for the answer in the Hot potatoes‘ exercise.

However, we should know that is not always possible try to categorize each activity into only one among the three ones below.

References:

http://quizlet.com/52452045/tkt-unit-17-practice-activities-and-tasks-for-language-and-skills-development-flash-cards/

Unit 16                  PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES AND INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

Presentation techniques are ways used by the teacher to present (introduce to learners for the first time) new language such as vocabulary, grammatical structures and pronunciation. Introductory activities are those used by teacher to introduce a lesson or teaching topic.

PPP: Presentation, Practice and Production

It is possible to present new language after learners have met it in a reading or listening text which is first used for comprehension.

TBL: Task-based Learning

PPP and TBL are not the only ways of presenting new language:

It is possible to present new language after learners have met it in a reading or listening text which is first used for comprehension.

EXAMPLES:

-          Another possibility is to hold a discussion on a topic and introduce new language in the context of the discussion.

-          Another one is to give learners a task that requires them to use new language, then after the task, present the new language to them and then give them another task to practice the new language (Test-teach-test).

-           

In both PPP and TBL new language items are presented in a meaningful context.

A PPP approach to presenting new language gives students an opportunity to practice language in a safe learning environment where it is difficult to make mistakes. It can therefore be a confidence-building approach for students. Students may be learning items they are not interested in or ready to learn and gives them few opportunities to use the language for communication.

We also have to consider WARM-UP activities and LEAD-IN activities.

Warmers make the students feel comfortable and ready for the lesson.

The TBL approach allows students to find new language when they want to or when they need it and to use language experimentally and creatively for real communication. This approach puts students in a situation which is quite similar to the one in which children learn their first language.

Some may find this approach exciting and challenging, others may seek for more guidance and structure.

Lead-ins introduce the topic of the lesson and main language points needed by the learners to complete the main tasks of the lesson.

REFERENCES:

http://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9780511667305

UNIT 15                                        APPROACHES TO LANGUAGE TEACHING

The learning-teaching process of the English language is really deep. Students needs to develop fluency and accuracy in the language. An approach is a way of looking at teaching and learning. Underlying any language teaching approach is a theoretical view of what language is, and of how it can be learnt. An approach gives rise to methods, the way of teaching something, which use classroom activities or techniques to help learners learn.

Example

-          The communicative approach is the best-known current approach to language teaching. Task-based teaching is a methodology associated with it. Other approaches include the cognitive-code approach, and the aural-oral approach (audio-lingual method).

-          Learners in the modern language classroom often learn through techniques drawn from a variety of methods/approaches in what has been labeled an ‘eclectic approach'. Teachers select techniques from various approaches according to the different needs of their learners. Most course books mix methods and techniques in this way.

REFERENCES:

http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/british-council-online-resources

UNIT 14                                             LEARNER NEEDS3

Learning a new language could be really difficult for some people and the teacher has to be aware about their student´s needs. It has to be according to the age and the level of English students has. Teachers can do that by an observation process, questionaries and also talking directly with them. There are also students that have personal needs it means that some of them are lacking of motivation; here the teacher can help them by stating goals nad personal expectations.

Examples:

• -          Personally I would like to do personal interviews with students in order to know what their needs are according the language.
• -          One of the things that students need to develop is autonomy, so I would like to implement in my classes the use of graphic organizer so that they will understand better the language and it could make easier the learning of the langue and they will study by themselves.  

References:

https://www.google.com.ec/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=PRACTICE+ACTIVITIES

UNIT 13      LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS

The learner´s characteristics are really important in order to have good learning-teaching process since he/she needs to have motivation, learning style, learning strategies, maturity and past language learning experience. All of those things are going to help the learner to achieve the final which to acquire the language. There are many factors that influence a learner to achieve the knowledge, and one thing that I consider as important is the interaction with other people since the learner has the opportunity to have real contact with the language. Learning styles and learning strategies are also important since the learner has to learn the language according to his /her learning style and in this part the teacher play an important role he/she has to be aware of his/her student´s learning style because there visual students, auditory students, kina esthetic students, and according to this they need special activities in order to develop their cognitive skills.

Examples:

• -          As a future teacher I think I will develop my student´s learning styles by doing with them some activities in which they can acquire the knowledge in a good way.
• -          In this part I would like to talk about my French teacher Fanny she used to teach us the language by using many strategies activities in which she incorporated the different learning styles of their students.

References:

http://ebooks.cambridge.org/chapter.jsf?bid=CBO9781139062398&cid=CBO9781139062398A029

UNIT 11                DIFFERENCES BETWEEN L1 AND L2 LEARNING

The learning of the first language L1 is done naturally and in different contexts from when we learn the second language L2. Also in most of the cases it happens in different ages.

In order to learn a second language we need to develop the principal skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking. The cognition, talking about mental process also must be developed. There must be motivation, the learner have to cover his/her expectations in order to learn the L2.

The acquisition of a new language will depends strongly of his or her age because is better to learn something when we are children since we can understand and acquire better the things, meanwhile being an adult we do not have the same capacity to get the knowledge unconsciously as children, we need experience more with the language.

Examples:

• With children I will make them learn the L2 through plays and games.
• With adults I will make them learn the L2 by talking about their personal experiences so they could feel more confident with the topics.  
• 
  
  

References:

Cook, V.J., Long, J., & McDonough, S. (1979), ‘First and second language learning’, in G.E. Perren (ed.) The Mother Tongue and Other Languages in Education, CILTR, 7-22

Lund, Sweden, September 26-27, 1972

UNIT 11                                           THE ROLE OF ERROR

When learning a language making mistakes plays an important and useful part because trough them learners cab be aware and learn more about the target language. The mistakes are divided into two groups: errors and slips. Both occur when the learner is being exposed to the target language slips are result of tardiness and errors are result of interference of the mother tongue. But even though we as teachers would like our students to speak perfectly they will make mistakes and we have to correct them in a good way so that they do not suffer any consequence in their learning process.

There are many reasons to make mistakes one of them is the interferences of them mother tongue, another is the overgeneralization, which means that the learned can apply a rule for all the cases in the target language. However, to manage a language learners have to achieve accuracy and also be conscious for improving the language.  

Examples:

• When a learner has made an error, the most efficient way to teach him the correct form is not by simply giving it to him, but by letting him discover it and test different hypotheses.
• Many errors are due to that the learner uses structures from his native language. What I can do as a future teacher is to teach the learner the false friends or maybe the intonation patterns if it is the case. 

References:

Corder, S. P. 1967. "The significance of learners’ errors”. International Review of Applied Linguistics 5: 161-9.

http://www.antimoon.com/how/mistakes-in-learning.htm

UNIT 10                                   EXPOSURE AND FOCUS ON FORM

In order to learn a language is important a person has exposure to it, so that the learner will pick it up naturally. As a child learns his first language, to learn a target language is important also to interact with other people. The learner needs to be exposed to the focus on form at the same time he or she is learning the sounds, the focus on form is to pay attention to the words and parts of words that make a language structure or in pronunciation. In the classroom, at the beginning the students pass for the silent period which means that they have a time for learning the second language and prefer to listen or read it means just to receive the teacher´s input. After that, the learner will be able to produce something as for example some chunks in the target language.

Is very hard to manage a language in the correct way, but teachers should make use of some methods in order to make students achieve comprehension.

Examples

• Personally as a future teacher I would to use the communicative approaches with my students since they will have more opportunities in order be exposure to the language.
• Also, the use of authentic material as for example the music and some videos will help me with students in the class to acquire the language easily. 

References:

http://es.slideshare.net/albertamaro/exposure-and-focus-on-form

UNIT 9                                                     MOTIVATION

Motivation is the thoughts and feelings which make us want to and continue to want to do something and which turn our wishes into action. In education, motivation deals with the problem of setting up goals so that learners will perform to the best of their abilities in the teaching learning process. We often motivate learners by helping them develop self- confidence, autonomy and independence. Personally I think that developing those things we will become successful at something, and that success makes us want to continue doing it and achieve greater things.

Into a classroom is important to motivate students by the right encouragement and support.in the case of teaching a target language as for example English the motivation will help students to achieve the top point of learning. Some students are unmotivated because since the primary school teachers do not contribute to their learning in a good way, on the other hand there some students has motivation but with the time they become demotivated because a teacher is not doing a good job and he/she is losing the enthusiasm for study.  

Examples of motivation:

• -          At my French class with teacher Fanny she always used to recognize and praise my effort. And she helped us to develop self-efficacy by showing us the connection between effort and achievement.
• -          Also teacher Fanny provided us of models, samples, and many examples about the class so that we know what to do and we always know that if we have a question we could ask for help because she always was monitoring us.

Through those examples I have gave I think I would try to almost the same in order to motivate my students to build confidence in their selves and at me as their teacher.

Resourses: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEsXamYNryU

Baron, 1992 and Schunk, 1990